Maburaho: The Dynasty
by Spiritblade
Summary: If you had 10 copies of one man, each married to a different woman, you would have a Dynasty. A story from the many eyes of Kazuki's children, and the laughter they have long learnt to cherish. COMPLETED
1. Kazetsubaki Raiha

_**A Maburaho fanfic: The Dynasty**_

_**Written by Spiritblade**_

**_Disclaimer: _**Okay, this is the first time I'm writing something remotely funny. I may well crash and burn in the attempt, as my humour is blacker than my heart - and that's saying a lot. Maburaho, the anime, does not belong to me. This story happens years after the last episode of the anime. Right, let's get started.

If there are jokes that stay with you for life, I think that this will be one of them. Life has a twisted sense of humour, and its propensity to throw you curveballs has had more than one unlucky man (or woman) screaming bloody murder and shaking his/her fist at the sky at a God who - by all accounts - is on the verge of falling of His (or Her) throne in laughter.

I've heard the old saying that God's punch-lines are killers. You will never know how true those words are until you're on the receiving end of one of them. Unfortunately, I have to see my father on the receiving end of 8 of them.

Oh, where are my manners?

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kazetsubaki Raiha, the eldest son of Kazetsubaki Kazuki and Kazetsubaki Kuriko. I am one of the 4 children my mother has given birth, but by no means are my siblings and I the only children my father has sired. Oh no...it's not as if he had extramarital affairs, but if you consider that there are 8 - yes, EIGHT of them! ALL of them married to 8 different women - you can tell where this conversation is going to go.

My father is a good, faithful man, albeit prone to getting himself into hot water from time to time, but that endears him all the more to my mother. My mother had said to her friends - those who had married the clones of my father - that their husbands were prize catches. Playful, she had suggested that they switched husbands for the fun of it.

8 copies of my father turned red; 7 women turned red either from embarrassment or fury. The most extreme reaction came from my aunt, Miyama Yuna. She blew the entire section of the mansion to high heaven. Had my siblings and half-siblings not used our powers for damage control, the place would look like the Princess Morningstar had held a summer party there.

Regardless, to ensure that there were no mix-ups, each of my father's clones took the names of their wives, and altered their auras so that their wives could tell that the right man was stepping into the house. My father has power enough to split the Earth; 8 of them could fry Heaven and Hell in short order.

And us, his children, have practically the might to reduce the twin divine kingdoms into so much ash and down to its constituent atoms. Sibling rivalry has NEVER been this bad. The damages we were capable of was more than enough to bankrupt my mother's conglomerate in short order.

And if that happened, I don't want to be alive long enough to see what she would do to us.

But, admittedly, I'm happy, but sometimes I cannot help but be amused at how it all turned out. My half-sibling (is that really the right term to use?), Kamishiro Rika, told me that our families were literally all one family, a literal Dynasty. All of us shared the blood of the same father, albeit born to different mothers.

Rika had pointed out that the Dynasty would play Hell with our fathers' family tree. How our parents were going to explain to our grandchildren that a small (Small? Hey Spiritblade, you nuts? -Ed.) accident caused all this is a can of worms I do not look forward to opening. The moment my kids bring that up, I swear to God that I'm going to run away as far as humanly possible. The hands of those electing to stay and fight are negligible. Don't you just love snap elections?

But, none of us care. If you were me, or anyone else related to the Dynasty, would you? You're alive...free...and never, ever alone. My mother had told me once that perhaps the chase that had led my father to her and her rivals had been a blessing. She felt _alive_, and the sparkle in her eyes - in all their eyes - told a story that I would be living one day.

I'd better not mention this. If there is one thing I learnt, it is NEVER to put ideas in my mother's head! Even if she's already over 30, she still acts like a teenager. She'll only make it worse, and laugh as I try to scramble out of the way. If I get my siblings - or my half-siblings - involved in my mad schemes, they would proceed to sharpen the knives on my hide.

Ah...I'd better be getting back to my parents. It seems that my caretaker has found me. Oh yes, what's your name?

...I see. I hope to see you again. Tomorrow?

All right, I promise.

_**Fin.**_


	2. Morisaki Shirou

_**The Dynasty - Chapter 2: Shirou Morisaki**_

_**Written by Spiritblade**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Maburaho, and my humour is still deplorable. One of my reviewers made a somewhat reasonable request with a good point. So, ladies and gentlemen, you have requested, and after some consideration, I will deliver. And, as before...please forgive me if my humour is less than passable...

It's not I dislike family gatherings. It's that I hate the crowds. And when it comes to my father and his clones coming together, havoc is bound to explode in a spectacular fashion. My mother and Aunt Rin will take advantage of it to throw lightning bolts at each other, to say nothing of what Aunt Yuna would do. It does not help matters that Aunt Kuriko instigates each and every one of such situations with her...suggestions.

I think my half-sibling, Raiha, has said it before, and it goes double when it comes from me when dealing with his mother: Never, EVER put ideas into her head. But, when it comes to Aunt Yuna, it doubles that.

I wonder how my Kazetsubaki siblings endure their mother's pranks without going mad. A week with her and I'll most likely be plotting murder...whether it be my aunt's or my own is open to discussion.

How was I born, you ask? Simple. My mother took advantage of the fact that there were 8 copies - or was it 10? - of my father. The original girls that had fought over him each had one to themselves, but the rest of my mother's classmates - and schoolmates, including the School nurse, for crying out loud! - helped themselves to grabbing the remainder.

My mother laughs at that memory. Even though split into 10 different people, they were the same people at heart, sharing the same common soul. The same smile, the same flaws, the same everything. To stake her claim, she had purposely grabbed my father and dyed his hair gold in order to differentiate him from the rest.

And when my mother made a claim, no one dared to take it away. Same goes for the rest of my aunts. The line of girls from her family trying to do so is enough to make me wet my trousers. How the Heaven she beat all of them, I don't wanna find out the hard way. Father had to save her that time by calling a 'Time-Out' - literally. The entire duelling ground was locked in time-stasis even as he hefted my mother and dragged her out of the fight. Mother's competitors only moved when the stasis field fell apart a month later. Those that got out soon found themselves with a mountain of home-work and responsibilities they had to be put on hold while they were in mid-air and mid-charge.

They never forgave her for that. Some of the school's perverts got good pictures of their undergarments.

The perverts got trashed in a fashion that would make devils shiver.

And now, almost a decade and a half later, I am forced to suffer for my mother's actions. Well...not me alone. My entire extended family - namely my half-siblings - are now forced to fend off my family's (among many others) advances. What a nightmare! Raiha and many of the others prefer their usage of Obfuscate spells to avoid their attentions. I, on the other hand, am forced to resort to a halisen to drive them away. It works on clingy girls and overbearing guys. Swirly eyes all around (fangs not included), but has that ever stopped a girl who's determined to get into your trousers, or a guy that wants to make you look like an incarnate Keitaro Urashima?

Am I happy, you ask?

Isn't that a redundant question. I was happy when I was born. Even my jealous little sister who, right now, despite my words, is after a panicking Raiha, is. Though, sometimes, I wish my father was the ONLY copy and had won my mother's affections, I cannot ask for more. You want a fairy-tale ending? You want to see it?

All you have to do is stand where I am, and look through my eyes. I will guarantee that what you see will be better than any fairy-tale.


	3. Morisaki Chiharu

_**Chapter 3: Chiharu Morisaki**_

**_Disclaimer: _**Yup, Chapter 2 and 3 are about the children of Morisaki (not Morisato!) Sayumi, Rin Kamishiro's rival. And Maburaho is not mine...

Hello, my name is Chiharu Morisaki, and I'm the younger sister of my baka of an elder brother, Shirou Morisaki. My hobbies are cat-watching, reading, drawing and beating the hell out of my half-sibling, Kazetsubaki Raiha (Not funny! - Ed.). I look a lot like my mum, down to the last strand of hair and, according to my brother, temper. He keeps swearing that one day I'd end up killing my half-sibling, provided I didn't marry him first!

Eew! Brother! That's disgusting! Me? Marrying my own half-sibling? You ecchi! You hentai! What have you been reading? Where are you hiding all those x-rated manga and VCDs? Give them to me or I swear that there won't be anything left of you when mum is through with you!

And he claims he's not a hentai? Don't believe a word that good-for-nothing brother of mine says. Even though we were both trained by mum's family, that disciplined exterior of his hides a perverted heart that would make a true blue hentai blush. Good God, you should see how many numbers stored in his cellphone belong to girls both in AND out of Aoi Academy. He even has Kazetsubaki Mai's cell-phone number!

Raiha warned my brother about Mai, but noooo! He had to go after her. Mai promptly sent him scurrying, before coming after her cousin (Raiha) with a flaming sword and threats to cut his throat, manhood and any links he had to the family. I pity Raiha sometimes. Of all my siblings, he has the worst fate equivalent to that of my dad. That's why he's sweet and gentle. Hell, even that baka-for-brains brother of mine is no different.

It must be a family trait - not that I'm complaining.

And having 10 dads, each married to different women (I call them my aunts, it eases the confusion; give credit to my sibling (cousin?), Airisu Chihaya, for that idea), I know I can always bunk down at any of their places, talk to them when I need their advice, and rely on my half-siblings when I'm in trouble. We're linked, all of us. Each of us instintively knows where the other is, and if that particular person needs us.

Yup, even if the idiots screaming for help are the kids of my mum's rival, the Kamishirou siblings. Speaking of which...no doubt my brother voiced this out, and I also wonder how was it that my mother married Kazuki? I have to admit that there are better men out there...but why him? What was so special about him outside of his genes that made us - all of Kazuki Shikimori's children - virtual gods (goddesses as well!) in our own right?

Mother tried to maintain a straight face, and made me swear that if I so much as breathe a word of this even outside her room, she was going to make me sorry. And nobody makes Sayumi Morisaki angry without paying the Devil for it - not even me, her favourite daughter!

What did she say? Umm...let me see...my memory's a bit off here...oh yes! You may have heard this before, but humour me all the same...

She told me that the Morisaki family had tried to stake a claim on Kazuki Shikimori when knowledge of his bloodline came to light, but soon found that the Kamishirou family had staked the claim. Prior to the latter sending in Aunt Rin, two champions of both houses had a duel. The Kamishirou (grrr!) representative won, and the rest was history.

And if you know my family, they're just as bad as the Kamishirous when losing is concerned. Calling them sore losers does not even begin to describe them! When they heard that there were 10 copies of my dad, they declared the match forfeit and sent in a dozen daughters of their family to claim him. The Kamishirous were amused, and Aunt Rin told me that mum once talked to her about the order she had received from her family matriarch.

The latter giggled, and gave but one piece of advice: Go for one of them. Just DO NOT go for those already taken. Their respective lovers WILL NOT be amused - herself included.

The Morisaki 12 (as I will call the girls my mum's family had sent in) tried to nail the 4 copies of my dad that were yet unclaimed. My mum tried to stay out of it, but found herself hiding one of them on more than one occasion. She tried to disguise him by dyeing his hair gold and using blue contact lens. Bad move - now he stood out. The Morisaki 12 changed their targets - and converged on the new and improved Kazuki Shikimori (the 3 that got away thanked their clone profusely and fled before the Morisaki 12 changed their minds).

Each of them - mum included, though her reaction was no different from Aunt Rin's when she first met Kazuki - pulled every trick out of book and sleeve in an attempt to win dad's affections. The hijinks that ensued would fill the Guiness Book of Records for sheer silliness, embarrassment, creativity and originality. It did not help that Aunt Yuna thought of all the Kazuki clones as 'hers' and would go into a jealous frenzy when she saw one of 'her' Kazukis with another girl (Note to self: Throw Aunt Yuna's name with Aunt Kuriko's. She's just as bad.). Aunt Kuriko would go about aggravating it, laughing like a maniac as her schemes played itself out.

But, despite how it went, the Morisaki 12 had fond memories of that time. They're all married now...but when reminded of those days when they fought over dad, they would blush. It was the best days of their lives, living like regular girls and being treated as such. It made good memories, even if they were somewhat sore about losing such a prize catch.

"Why him?" my brother and I asked mum on her birthday.

Mother smiled at us, her dark eyes distant, and replied, "Why? I don't know why. I don't even care. All I do know is that I'm happy, and that I can find a memory to cherish. After all, with a family THIS large - and it promises to grow larger - I think I can look forward to making good ones."

Was it that simple? I suppose it is. Life is complicated, my dad said, but sometimes we make it so. And in my mum's case, I may never understand her decision to marry someone like dad, but I think I'm starting to. We don't need a reason to love someone, do we?


	4. Kamishirou Rika

_**Chapter 4: Rika Kamishirou**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Maburaho. Now then...where did I last leave off?

_Konichiiwa. _From the familiar look on your face, I see you know who I am without mistaking me for my twin sister, Shiina. Yes, I am Rika Kamishirou, the eldest daughter of my mother - well, the eldest by 5 minutes anyway. It's a sore point with Shiina, so please do not bring it up. I really do not wish to end up being turned upside down by my mother when she finds we have wrecked the dojo again.

Yes. Again. My twin has one hell of a temper, and I stress the word 'hell', despite her placid exterior. What can I say? She's a typical Scorpio girl, but the fact that she's hot outside and inside serves to put that placid mask she puts on to shame. She dislikes the stuffy traditions of our mother's family anyway.

But, I think I know why you're here. You're here to ask about that...question, aren't you? And considering that you are here, you've already talked to the eldest son of Aunt Kuriko and the children of my mother's rival, Aunt Sayumi. You're a curious one. Why does the love life of my father interest you so much? Is it because of that reason? I see. It's not everyday that you have a situation as...amusing as this, is it?

I still remember the stories my mother told me about her time with father. From the first days she discovered she was betrothed to him, to her desire to murder him, down to the moment she started falling - hard - in love with him to the annoyance that she had had to share him with two others until his resurrection that saw him dividing into 10 copies. Now, you can imagine what happens when 10 copies of my father marries 10 different women, don't you? Do you even want to do the math? Even my cousin, Haruaki Maya, Aunt Shino's daughter, had nightmares about how we were to draw out our family tree.

And trust me...this family is going to get bigger. Aunt Kuriko is already 3 months pregnant. How she maintains her figure is a mystery that I would like to pry from her. Mom and Aunt Sayumi are already expecting, and mother informed me that the ones coming are triplets. Aunt Yuna has already bought another house to expand her current one. This is scary. My father can play most team games himself, and trust me, the coordination is one out of a nightmare.

And with my siblings, half-siblings and me, we are an army - literally. Combined, we have enough power to demolish a world should we decide to go to war with each other and there is nothing in the combined realms of Creation that can stop us should we decide to have a personal Armageddon. That's why we had a fighting ring, enhanced with wards and circles of protection all of our families could think of to ensure we did not blow Earth to smithereens in our quarrels. Sibling rivalry has never been this bad, Raiha said? What an understatement! Next to him, I'm the one who has to whack my own half-siblings should they get out of hand. I bemoan my fate.

I see, however, the magick in their eyes, and the warmth therein. If there was ever anything our father bequeathed to us outside of power, it was his warm spirit. From the moment we open our eyes and behold the blue sky and the warm sun (or the full moon and the starlit night sky), we would never have believed that Paradise would be anything less than what we envisioned. As a result, my half-siblings, Shiina and I were divided into two Houses.

One was the Solar House, that which represented those that was born in the hours of the day.

The second was the Lunar House, that which represented my half-siblings born when the stars shone in heaven.

Our dispositions matched our respective Houses. Heh...if you think I'm lying, go take a look at Kazetsubaki Kanako, Raiha's sister and the second child of Aunt Kuriko. She's a Lunar, same as he. She's a bookworm, yet has the grace of a fighter. I would easily describe her to be a leopard, if I was to attribute an animal to her. Now look at Chiharu. She's a Solar. You met her. You know her temperament. If you so much as look at her the wrong way, she'll turn you to charcoal. That girl is a pyromaniac. For some reason, she loves setting things on fire.

What was that? Yes. I am also an apprentice serving in Aunt Kuriko's security division of Kazetsubaki Conglomerate. It is to tie the Kamishirou family to them and to bring the 10 families that my father and his copies married closer together. And yes, I am also Raiha's commanding officer (Good God. I fear for his soul. -Ed.). I need the allowance, after all. I dislike having to rely on my parents when I can earn my own keep. Shiina serves as my second-in-command, though she delights in tormenting my poor half-sibling (Poor? Get your sister off of me or I swear I'll...Oomph! - Raiha.). Ignore him. He enjoys the attention (Spiritblade giggles.) but not the glomping that my father's youngest children delight in giving him.

My plans for the future are set. Now all I have to do is work towards them. What are my goals? Simple. You've heard Morisaki-san (Refering to the Kazuki that married Sayumi) saying that life is easy but it is we who make it complex? It's true. My goal is to be like my mother - in every way possible. That's my dream. And that is the magic of this Dynasty's story.

We learn to believe. And we learn that no matter how mighty the magician, faith dwarves that power.


	5. Akai Maya

_**Chapter 5: Maya Haruaki**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Maburaho nor Steel Angel Kurumi. The latter, I'm just borrowing briefly for kicks, as are the references for Gundam and ZOE. Oh, the reason WHY I'm giving Kazuki his wives' family names is to avoid confusion on their part.

Ara...you're here early. I was expecting you to come about an hour later, but I suppose now is a good time as any. Please, take a seat. And don't look at me in that fashion. I'm not like my mother. I won't pull your spirit out and toss you into the nearest birdcage...though if you annoy me, I wouldn't mind making sure you suffer that fate. Rika called me, indicating that you have some questions regarding my 'extended' family's bloodlines.

Trust me. It IS a headache even for someone as intelligent as I am. The relationship between me and the rest of my father's other children by his clones qualifies as half-siblings. I am at a loss to explain how his personality and soul copied perfectly into 10 separate copies, and thus I am not even going to start. We can go right into the occult and still not find an answer. Science, much to my annoyance, does not help. It only complicates matters. Rika told me once to just let it be. It's not worth the headache, she says.

But, I love mysteries and...

Oh, forgive me. Where are my manners? My name is Maya Haruaki. At 23, I am essentially the first child born in the entirety of the Dynasty (that's what I call the enormous family my father and his clones have created. Casanova, eat your heart out). Aunt Kuriko's firstborn was born 4 months after me. I am a Solar, and I work in the Kazetsubaki Engineering facilities. And yes...some of the rumours you hear about me are true. I AM the person who has been developing Mobile Suits and LEVs for the military. If you thought those things were only seen in anime, then you're about to see the real thing. If we're successful, we can essentially start setting up colonies in space.

It has always been my dream, you know. I love the stars and the night skies, even though I'm a Solar. It's so...blessed. I have sailed on my wings in the night sky, and felt free. My mother had told me and my father stories of the stars above, and the stories and lessons behind each constellation. She's intelligent, that mother of mine. Ask her any question on just about anything, and she'll have the answer for you within moments. If I or my half-siblings have any problems regarding work, magic or life, my mother is the person they see. She's a jack-of-all-trades and _master_ of them all. Come on...she's older than my dad by _decades _and has not aged a day when she fell in love with my dad's ancestor.

She's my role model, and I hope to be like her someday.

But, if there is one thing I really, really, _really_ hate my mother for doing to me, it is setting up my half-sibling, Kazetsubaki Kanako, to be my rival. That is one scary girl, even though she's a good 5 years my junior. She'd already graduated with a doctrate way ahead of her eldest brother and has set her sights on shooting me down! All thanks to my mother, no less! That manipulative...ooohhh!

Kanako is already close to completing the Steel Angel project! Good God! What is she trying to do? Create a private army? Or make real a pervert's fantasy? As if there weren't enough of them! Morisaki Shirou will blow a blood vessel when he sees one of them! And he doesn't even realise that the silver-haired girl that forms part of Raiha-kun's private retinue of girls (they're all part of the same Security team, much to his horror - and his mother's glee) is the successfully completed prototype of the Steel Angels, Pandaemonium!

If he goes after her...I shiver at the thought of what would happen. The explosion with Kazetsubaki Mai had been particularly bad. This one...promises to be worse. And yes...that hentai tried to get into my skirt once. I threw him into a spirit prison for several weeks. Without his clothes. And on full display for every girl to ogle.

I found out one interesting thing, now that the conversation has come to this area. Whenever my father...uh...gets _intimate_ (you get the idea, so don't ask!), the rest of his clones feel the whammy. It wouldn't be the first time that my dad suddenly collapsed with a nosebleed and shivering in ecstasy as one of his clones..._erupts_. They ALL feel it. I've done an experiment on this, out of sheer boredom. The highest reaction comes when Aunt Kuriko is involved. But if several of them are...having fun...at the same time, the results would be catastrophic.

Why? Simple. Our bloodline is absolute. We feel the fall-out. Those lacking in will collapse from the pleasure. Those who have strong enough wills will be left staggering, awed and shell-shocked. And what do we say?

Yes. The same thing we say whenever our mothers get frisky and manage to drag our fathers into the bedroom: 'AGAIN!'

You have NO idea how MANY times that has happened! And at the worst possible times! I caught the Ecstasy Shockwave - as I call it - when I was reading my thesis in front of a crowd of esteemed professors. My rivals have never let me live it down! Grrr...mother! I'll get you for that! I swear it! Kyaaahhh!

(Explosions wreck the lab...)

Oh...Rika asked that I leave this for you. It's a detail of who had married whom. I don't know who is the original Kazuki Shikimori as they're all 'original'. Don't worry. You're not that badly hurt...(So you say... -Ed.)...and why are you blushing? What the-! You saw my...why you! Prepare to die, puny mortal. Prepare to suffer. And I. Am. Going. To. Really. Make. You. Suffer.

(Someone help...-Ed.)

(No way, man. You're on your own. I won't go near you with a thousand-foot pole! Don't mind if we run away with this...- Readers.)

(Wait! Oh no... -Ed.)

_**Marriage listing:**_

Kazetsubaki Kazuki -Kazetsubaki Kuriko

Miyama Kazuki -Miyama Yuuna

Morisaki Kazuki - Morisaki Sayumi

Chihaya Kazuki - Chihaya Yamase

Haruaki Kazuki - Haruaki Shino

Kamishirou Kazuki -Kamishirou Rin

Hirosaki Kazuki -Hirosaki Karei

Now, I'll make up who the remaining 3 clones of Kazuki married (smiles gleefully)... Let me see what I can pull out from under my sleeve. Should I call in that Brunestud girl (no, not Arcuied), I wonder...


	6. Yamase Airisu

_**Chapter 6: Airisu Yamase**_

**_Disclaimer_**: I don't own Maburaho. Some have asked, and now you shall received. I concede that the name in my previous chapter should be Akai Maya, and not Haruaki Maya. My bad. Oh, a favour to ask...Can someone pronounce this Japanese name (if it is one) for me. Thanks.

(Character name?): 萌奈

* * *

I apologise for the mess you. It's been a while since I last did some packing, and what with work and exams on the horizon, I had not the time to tidy up. I'd better do so before mother comes about and sees all this! Ahh...darn it, I'll deal with it after you leave. Please make yourself comfortable, and I'll get you a drink and some snacks.

Ahh...that hits the spot after a hard day. Oh, don't worry. I'm old enough to drink. I'm 18, and it is a cold night. I suppose you came here after interviewing my half-sibling, right? Which one? Oh, Maya-san? Aunt Shino's daughter? That explains the bandages and the bruises. And here I thought that it was Chiharu-chan who gave you those. She almost mummified several guys I know who tried to hit on her some time back.

That is one girl with one hell of a temper and an attitude problem to boot. But, she's family all the same. And she knows how to get sake at good discounts, too, so I suppose I should keep anything negative about her private. Where to begin? Ah, well, I suppose that is as good a topic to start from. You already know the basics about me. I'm the team captain for Aoi Academy's swimming team and that I'm one of the school's top fashion models. It's really a dilemma. Mother says I have promise to be both, but that the choice is, in the end, up to me. You already know my measurements, no doubt...oh, you don't? That blush on your face gives you away, darling. I have a body equal to that of Aunt Kuriko's - a fact I do not fail to remind my half-sibling, Chiharu, of. She's got some years before her body fills out, but I'm ahead of the race, and I intend to stay ahead.

(You call that kind of body underdeveloped? -Ed.)

(Yamase-san really has one hell of an ego... -Spiritblade)

(Yeah. Unfortunately, she has the goods to back up her boast. - Ed.)

But I lose out when it comes to that silver-haired girl that Kanako had sent Raiha's way. Kami-sama...now that is one girl that even girls get hot for. What was her name? Uhh...wait, that's it --Shion Imperia. Wierd name for a weird girl. But, one thing's for sure, that girl is a powerhouse in combat. I've seen her angry, and I can tell you that it's not pretty. One does not argue with a girl who can bring out a pair of triple-linked assault cannons capable of putting holes in buildings (and that's not about all - her magic levels are seriously off the charts!). I suppose where Raiha is working, her being around is a good idea.

His blood, from what I heard from Maya-chan, is particularly addictive. I confirmed that from my friend at the University he's studying at. The female vampires particularly are plotting how to get him alone and get him both laid and drained. I shiver at what would happen. Aunt Kuriko would either scream bloody murder and sic the Inquisition on the vampires responsible - or more likely laugh with glee. That woman is scary. It may be the n-th time you've heard it, but one can never be too careful with her around. Even my mom says so. Aunt Kuriko's pranks are harmless, but they have a tendency to throw you into a situation you are both ill-equipped and can ill-afford to deal with.

Oh, about my parents? Yeah. They still act like kids sometimes, but can you blame them? Mom fell in love with dad when they were kids. It followed her right through the years. I don't know why and how mom never got her eyes on other guys, but I can see that she had marked dad from the moment she met him. She had always been his constant shadow, ensuring that he never used his magicks unnecessarily. He could only use his magic 8 times in total, but Uncle Akai told me that the power behind his enchantments could easily destroy the planet.

It makes me shiver now that there are over 30 of us. Good God...a Doomsday scenario in the worst possible light. The smallest rivalry starts Armageddon. The Savior and his Adversary will call their game quits and have a beer while they watch the fireworks.

But, yeah...mom (and the 3 girls that surrounded dad back then) failed to prevent dad from using his magic. He became an earthbound ghost. Mom got very upset, and frightened by the fact that should they restore dad to full mortality, he would forget her, and not be the Kazuki she loved and grew up with. Can you blame her? Can you live with the fact that someone you love, someone you knew, someone you grew up with, became totally different? Can you live with that kind of pain, knowing that the person you see now is totally different from the person you knew then?

I know I can't. I'd break inside. Aunt Shino told me of that, but she was glad she never went through with her plan to turn dad into a full ghost. If he were, then no one would have been born. And no one would have been happy. Damn...let's talk about some good things, 'kay? All this sad stuff can make sake taste bad.

I learnt one thing from mom, though. It is okay if we girls are selfish when it comes to the ones we love. Point in note is Aunt Miyama. She loves dad (all the Kazukis) like crazy, and goes insanely jealous when any of my aunts gets to intimate with their man (their Kazukis). I swear that if not for our powers, we would have been branded international terrorists and hunted down.

Oh...do I have a boyfriend? That's a funny question. Are you having funny ideas in that head of yours, hmm?

(You deal with her. - Spiritblade)

(Uh-uh. You do it! - Ed.)

(No bloody way. I get married into this family, I'm a goner. -Spiritblade)

(The idea is appealing, though. - Ed.)

I hope to have one someday, the same way mom hooked up with dad. I want to have kids of my own also, and I want to tell them lots of stories. Believe me, with a family like this, you can never run out of them. Life lessons as well. Company also. Eh...it's raining? Damn! Help me close the windows, won't 'cha? We have a long night, and I have plenty to tell.


	7. Kazetsubaki Kanako

_**Chapter 7: Kazetsubaki Kanako**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Maburaho.Hard for me to write humour...but I need to practice. Writers can't afford to not have a bit of everything in their repertoire.

Welcome to the _Castel D' Angelo_, dearest guest. And no, you are not at the Castle of Angels that is located in Rome within firing distance of St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. It's just that, considering what I'm doing here, that such a name befit the place where my daughters are born. No doubt, you've heard the details from my archrival, my half-sibling Maya, haven't you, about my Steel Angel project?

You have? Excellent. I surmise that it will be a year before the project is officially complete. It has taken quite a big bite of the pie of my mom's conglomerate, but I doubt that our backers will be disappointed. Though if they think that my daughters are to be used for...entertainment...they will be sorely disappointed - but if they are willing, then I hope they have the stamina to keep up. My _baka_ elder brother just doesn't know what he's in for. By then, it will be too late...(snicker)

Well, let us go and meet them, shall we? I apologise beforehand for the cloak-and-dagger act, but I don't want idiots from any National Government poking their noses into my affairs before I am ready to present them with my work. Just last week, Matariel and Sammael-chan had caught a North Korean infiltrator trying to hack into my computer networks. He did his work well, I must admit, but he left a large enough trail for him to be traced. We deported him back to his country, of course, to avoid an international incident, but Sammael brainwashed him to ensure that his tongue does not wag. Oh, don't worry...he will only remember he had left North Korea for the mission, and suddenly finds himself back where he started six months later, with no knowledge of what happened in between.

And magic is not going to cure this. The magi there will swear their pants off when they find that out. Ah, here is Samael herself. Beautiful, isn't she? Try not to drool, because she takes offence to that. Hmm...that's strange. She seems to like you. Do be careful, though. Sammael is a Seraphim-class Steel Angel. She's almost as strong as Mikhail. That one got quite infatuated with a mystic from the Kagura clan - now what was his name...ah yes, Nakahito Kagura. That kid has captured the hearts of practically 5 of my 20 prototype Steel Angels. And it's growing. Argh...if I lose more test subjects, I swear mother's going to kill me.

Now, have a drink. We've some time before we get there. I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? Well then, my name is Kazetsubaki Kanako. I am the genius of my family, and I hold sole rights to that title and dare anyone to try and take it from me. I'm as good as geniuses go, and can give you a fight whether it be in sorcery or science - and even a combination of the two.

Why am I doing this project, you ask?

Simply put, because I can. Have you ever seen the link between technology and biology? If you can tell, one sees in our technology the way our bodies work. Let's go to an example. Your eyes, for example, are sensors on robots. Like our eyes, they have a certain operational distance before logic circuits within the sensor output a '1' to the main circuit board. Our brain is the CPU of the body, though it infuriates me that a good majority of people never use it. And yes, point in note is that idiot, Morisaki Shirou. The mere thought of that _hentai_ being my half-sibling is enough to make me want to have all my Steel Angels with an automatic _'kill-hentai'_ order built into them.

I work quite well with Aunt Shino and her family - now there are people who can understand the way I think and feel. Aunt Shino, especially. She was the one who gave me most of the ideas when I designed the Steel Angels. Pandaemonium - or Shion Imperia - is her brainchild. If anything, Pandaemonium is one of her children. If my _baka_ of a brother breaks her heart, Aunt Shino is going to break his head. And from what I heard, he's going to have a hard time of it. I'd better not let mom hear about my little scheme, or there'll be Hell to pay.

And you won't tell her about it, boy, or I'll make sure you die next. Literally. And...wait, what is this? Intruders in my lab...?

I see. He's trying to circumvent my security, that _baka_. Meet, Spiritblade, the son of Yukihiko, Kiyo Yukihiko. Unlike his father, he's smarter and more resourceful. And he's in love with me. I like persistence, but his efforts grate on my nerves. Ah...I have an idea. Why not join me while I...deport him. Rosiel, Alexiel, Matariel...see to our guest. Ensure he leaves alive...but feel free to see to it that he has a few dislocations.

You're evil, Kanako. - Spiritblade

Of course I am. If I'm to protect that idiot elder brother of mine, I'd better be. After all, he's the one who will one day be signing my pay cheque, so it is in my best interests to ensure he'll be alive to do so. And I want to make sure no bit - pardon me...no two-timing girl who wants him because of our family status gets to him.

You love your brother, don't you? - Spiritblade

That I do, Spiritblade-san. That I do. I love my family, even so. And if you were in my shoes, won't you? Family is sacred to me. I cannot build it; I cannot invent it; I cannot create it with magic and I most certainly cannot buy it. To ask what it is worth is the same as asking what the city of Jerusalem was actually worth.

Saladin, the Arab Emperor, got this one thing right: Nothing. Everything.

There is no price for it.


	8. Kazuki Brunestud

_**Maburaho: The Dynasty**_

_**Chapter 8: Kazuki Brunstud**_

_**Written by Spiritblade**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Maburaho, but I think you know that. Sorry for the late update. Right, down to the story.

Before we begin with the introductions, let me first state that I am named after my father, whose family name changed after he married my mother. And, if you are familiar with the Brunestud name, then you will know that I am a vampire. Or half-vampire, at least. Of all my half-siblings, I am the most powerful, but by no way am I the firstborn child of my father (or his clones, but I'll get to that later).

My mother, Altrouge Brunestud, is one of the 27 Dead Apostles. The 27 Dead Apostles are the mightiest of the vampires of the Second House, the second genesis of vampires that Caine had created to counter his treacherous children that he had created after his exile from Eden. And yes, I am related to Arcuied Brunestud, the True Ancestor Princess.

It might surprise you that our situations are somewhat...similar. The difference is that while there are ten copies of my father, there is only one of my uncle shared between his eight lovers. I have many half-siblings and cousins as a result, all sharing the same father. I plan to bring them to meet my half-siblings and my aunts on the coming Christmas, but making the arrangements is a headache.

Oh yes, so that you know, Raiha-kun is living here also in the same castle as my sister. He's a Kazetsubaki, and that means we've to roll out the red carpet - despite the fact my half-sibling hates that kind of treatment. Is my sister older or younger than me, you're asking? She's older. Her name is Ganymede Brunestud, and I believe it is best I inform you not to make her angry. Unlike my mother, she is somewhat bad-tempered. Show her respect and be courteous, and you'd get along just fine.

Oh no...they're at it again!

What you're currently hearing is my half-sibling and my older sister having **_another_** argument. Did I forget to mention that Ganymede is like Aunt Akiha? I'll tell you all about her sometime, but suffice to say that their arguments get so bad that mother sends them straight to Millennium Castle Brunestud to sort it out before they destroy our home.

Why do I stay here instead of the castle? Well...let's just say that my sister treats me pretty much the same way as Raiha, and I don't like being coddled. Besides, here I can get some privacy without her spirits, guards and _shikigamis_ spying on my every move. And yes, the whole building is mine. After all...if one throws the wealth of the Brunestud family with the Shikimori Dynasty...we could buy the United States if we wanted to. But, doing that would be pointless - and too much work.

We have enough as it is, and more than so to keep us occupied.

Forgive me, I digress. Since you came here all the way from Japan, I suppose we might as well get to the chase. How did my mother meet my father? Well...if I remembered correctly, he was part of a study group from Kyoto University when they first met. He was 20 years old, I think...3 years after that incident which got him split up into 10 copies. And, if you are thinking about the Rapture that some of my half-siblings have mentioned, I suffer it too.

And considering that I am linked to my half-siblings via Aunt Arcuied, they feel it too. So, you can just imagine how embarrassing it is when your cellphone rings a dozen times in the space of five minutes with them demanding - yes, even Aunt Arcuied! - if my father had gotten too frisky. I have to keep telling them that it was one of my dad's copies over in Japan that was...ahem...having fun. And mom is no better - but don't tell her I said there, or I'd be scrubbing the castle again. Arrggh...

Ah, and this here are my retainers, Natasha Steiner and Marik Steiner. Yes, they're siblings. Twins, in fact. Both of them are good cooks, and better teachers. Go ahead, have a drink. Natasha makes excellent Earl Grey. It's an addiction; I never leave home without a thermos. Oh...a personal question? Go ahead.

Do I drink blood...?

...I try not to. Raiha-oniisan tells me not to. Both of us know the reasons why. I don't want to find what kind of devastation I will leave behind should I lose control. I don't have the kind of will Aunt Arcuied has to fight off the bloodthirst that is the mark of my kind. But, enough of that annoying elder half-sibling of mine...no doubt my other blood relatives have talked to you enough of that _baka_. They love him - and so does Ganymede. So do I, if you wanna know. He helps me with my homework, and does not scold me when I fail tests (which my sister does - and she grabs the nearest blunt instrument to use on me. Last time, she used a cooking pan and I suffered a trip through the solar system for three days).

But, if there is one thing I can beat my sister at, it's drawing. My sister has tried time and time again, and though good, she cannot beat me. It relieves me that I can beat my perfectionist sister in at least one arena. Heh...

A girlfriend? Me? Well...I admit that I have my share of admirers, but I am not so eager as to have a family. Anyone I have a crush on...? Well, there is this one were-beast girl that I have my eye on...but she's cocky and brash. She thinks I'm one of the 'lower-class' people, and I'm not about to tell her I am a Prince. It will be bad for my health. I like solitude and the like, and being mobbed like a rock star is not my idea of fun. Most people in the city think I'm just another person living in a normal apartment complex; I used a bit of mom's Disciplines to help that idea along. Surprising it didn't work on you.

And...wait. Yes, Natasha? Oh, Arikiba's here? Bring him to the Library and get him something to eat. He must be hungry after training. Who is he, you ask? He's my classmate. He's a Master. You would have heard about those - yes, the ones with Servants. Oh...Natasha, did he bring his Servants with him? Eh...ALL of them? Oh boy...

Here, take a look at this.

Beautiful, aren't they? They're the one reason most other girls wouldn't approach him. No matter how powerful they are. I heard he even refused the advances of Kazetsubaki Minase, my school's princess. Do I have Servants? Well...I do. Master-class magicians are small, and few have a magical quotient higher than 7000, but their Servants are there to offset their weaknesses. Of these, there are less than a hundred Emperor-class Masters. These Masters have the ability to call upon more Servants than the regular Master, who has at her command one or two at most.

Oh, and I would recommend that you DO NOT write about the Masters. You could get yourself into trouble. There are organisations who want to get acquire the powers of the Masters to their own ends. I'll give you a hint : Remember the disaster at Nekomi Technological University some time back? Start from there. You'd find some interesting things, I assure you.

Oh, and if you're going to meet Ganymede, I can arrange an introduction. At least, we can avoid **_her_** Servants from frying you.

(Somehow, I don't trust this guy. I'd better make sure my Shields and wards are thicker than the castle walls!)

_**To be continued...**_

**_Author's Note: _**I decided to include two other animes in here. Guess what they are. Oh, I threw in a bit of seriousness that may be a bit out...but as I am focusing on Angel Halo, it has a tendency to creep in. Well, I warned you on Chapter 1 - but I'm still gonna try to tickle your funny bone! Meows!


	9. Ganymede Brunestud

_**Maburaho: The Dynasty**_

_**Chapter 9: Ganymede Brunestud**_

_**Written by Spiritblade**_

**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own Maburaho, but I think you know that. Sorry for the late update. Right, down to the story. Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. Focusing on other projects - and that leaves me busy as hell. Oh, and a brief reference to Magister Negi Magi as well is in this little chapter.

I have been expecting you, honoured guest.

Welcome to Castle Firestar. My name, as you probably have guessed, is Ganymede Brunestud. I am the older sister of Kazuki Brunestud, and I am the de facto governor of this town. Are you that surprised? You shouldn't be. The town's governor is my retainer, and I have control over a good number of chief figures and the economy in this entire region. It's a lot of work...something I wish that useless younger brother of mine could help me with!

My mother tells me that it will teach me responsibility and how to wield power effectively, as well as teach me the finer points of diplomacy - something, she points out, I lack severely. Oh...don't worry about those gouges in the walls and the broken windows...I had an argument with Raiha a few days back (which we ALL heard and saw!) over how we were to ensure that the second castle mother is bringing in does not crash onto this one.

Oh...don't worry, it won't. I trust my abilities on this one.

(I don't!)

The main plan was for my family - both on my mother's and father's side - to live together under one house. It is an idea my mother has suggested to everyone, as two castles - one on the gronud, and one floating directly above it - has enough space for both the Shikimori and the Tohno (as that is what I refer to when I'm talking about Uncle Shiki's _extended_ family) dynasty.

How many are there altogether, I wonder.

Hmm...let me count...Aunt Kuriko and her family - that's seven, including the ones she has yet to give birth to. I've got to ask her how she manages to keep such a killer body and a youthful face after giving birth to so many children.

Aunt Yuna and her family - that's five.

Aunt Sayumi and hers - that's six.

Aunt Shino and her brood - that's four. No, better make that five. That one's on the way.

Aunt Hirosaki and hers - that's three...

Arrrghhh...forget it! I quit. I'd sooner let my mother do the talking, as dealing with people like Akai Shino or Kazetsubaki Kuriko is equal to dealing with one of the Pandaemoniums. It will drive me crazy, and have me lose my temper.

(Which is not a good thing to see. Your brother Kazuki tells me you have a temper, but if the damage I see around here with your 'disagreement' with Raiha is any indication, it will have Archangels backpedalling to get out of the blast range - with their bodyguards scampering to do the same. Man...how much the repair going to cost the Brunestud family, I wonder?)

Particularly Hirosaki. That woman is so calm and subtle that before I know it, I am in her trap, hook, line and sinker. I'd advise you to be particularly careful of her. She's cunning. She's lived as long as Aunt Shino - and if that is any indication, she would have picked up manipulation and subtlety as a hobby. How else would Hirosaki-san ever match Shino-san blow for blow back then?

That is the standard my mother wants me to reach. Why couldn't she toss the job to my younger brother? Is this her idea of a joke? If it is, I'm not amused. This is first-degree murder, without the blood or the pain that goes with you being turned into salami. And somehow, I get the feeling that my parents are having a laugh at my expense, and are making bets on how long I can tolerate this before I drag my brother back here and have **_him_** do the job.

He refuses to stay here, as befitting his station. Why he chooses to stay in that run-down (run-down?) building, I will never know. At least he is smart enough to have some of our retainers go to the same school with him and live in the same building, so as to ensure that his lie has a core of truth.

The best lie, I once told him, is a half-truth. It will leave one's enemies floundering, and give you an advantage in which you can work with. Don't look at me like I'm some evil witch - I'm not. I'm just not as naive as my little brother. When you've dealt with snakes and honey-tongued imbeciles who seek to make a living off your sweat, you will not tolerate one in your midst. My fool of a younger brother doesn't see that - even among the commoners - that their ranks are as rife with such worms as ours are. He'll learn.

After all, he is my little brother.

Hmmm...this is odd. You like my tea?

(I really find that smile of hers disturbing.)

Do you even know what you're drinking? No? Then, I shall enlighten you. What you've been drinking, dear guest, is something called Sanguinary Tea.

In short, it's blood.

(Ur-rrk!!)

And it shows that you yourself are a vampire, a half-breed, or have one somewhere in your ancestry. Once the Curse goes in, it never leaves. That explains why my little brother wanted me to meet you. Clearly, you do not understand the rules of the Nightwalkers. A problem easily rectified. There is a ball at Castle Shadowmoon this evening, and I have to attend. A brief look at the society you're about to be part of should be a good introduction, after which, I will have a few words with your parents.

Vampires, like the were-beasts, are slowly dying out. Whether that be a curse or a blessing remains to be seen. Like magic, they have a place in Creation. Evil does not discriminate between races, the colour of one's skin, or religion. It embraces all in the same fashion that God does. I suppose that my Asian cousins have the right of it, for saying that for the engines of Heaven to function properly, it will need its counterpart in the Underworld. Subordinate, but an integral part, most certainly.

Come, finish the drink. I believe I should show you more of my castle, and then I will have one of my servants show you your room. She will give you some formal wear when we attend tonight.

And don't worry. I don't bite. And neither will the women at the ball. Of course, don't invite them. You're good-looking enough to kill for.

(That's it. I'm dead now.)

Not yet, dear guest. Not yet. And maybe, not ever.

**_Next: _**Chapter 10: Hirosaki Shana


	10. Hirosaki Shana

_**Maburaho: The Dynasty**_

_**Chapter 10: Hirosaki Shana**_

_**Written by Spiritblade**_

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Maburaho, but I think you know that. Sorry for the late update. Right, down to the story. Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter. Focusing on other projects - and that leaves me busy as hell. Oh, and a brief reference to Shakugan no Shana as well as Magister Negi Magi is in this little chapter.

In this story is a little kudos to Traingham, who wrote 'Fang Vice Addiction', which is cute, interesting and is done in style.

**X X X X X X**

Here, drink something. You look like you need a drink. There'll be enough time for both of us to talk. But, in any case, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hirosaki Shana. And no, I have no relation with the Flamehaze who bears the same name, though I am capable of doing what she does. You need not worry about me whipping out a sword and doing a number on you. I won't. My mother will not be amused. Besides, that Flamehaze is too busy spoiling her kids, some of whom are going to school with my little brother, Kiyo. We'll talk more about him later. I am a Solar. I was born in the day, while my little brother is a Lunar. Not surprising; he has an appetite of a starving wolf, considering how much he eats and never gains weight.

More?

(Yes, please.)

And yes, my mother is Hirosaki Karei, formerly the landlady of my father. Uhh...which one that is, I'm not sure. Please don't ask me if the one my mother got her hands on is the 'original' Shikimori Kazuki. After all, **ALL** of them are as original as the original. Memories, soul aura, down to the last strand of hair is pure 100 Shikimori Kazuki. No, no...you don't have to quote piracy and intellectual laws to me. This is something, I think, the law would want to avoid. The paperwork and the proceedings will make one's worst nightmare look pleasant in comparison.

The amount of pure Hell - note that the 'H' is capital - that the entire Shikimori Dynasty is capable of bringing down on ANYONE is not something to take lightly. Some extremist faction tried to take advantage of us to get a political upper-hand on the United States...and that didn't end well. I'll not bore you with the details, but if you wanna know, I can give you the web-address. No doubt my cousin, Shiina, is arguing with the Morisaki siblings on who got the highest kill-score.

Though, if you want my opinion, I think the Brunestud siblings got the highest. Come on, put the genes of an Archmage who would make Merlin - or even Mephisto - look like a bumbling amateur with a True Ancestor princess, and the end result is a powerhouse among powerhouses. No one in the family can match our Brunestud siblings singly. Good thing they're hard to anger.

(I **would not** put Ganymede Brunestud into the 'hard to anger' list. You should have seen the way she glared at the other female vampires at the Shadowmoon Ball. I thought a fight was going to erupt then and there.)

Well, you have a point. Ganymede was your chaperon, after all. She was expected to make sure you were not...molested. Considering that that has happened to the son of the Thousand Master, she wants to avoid having you turned into a snack. The blood of darklings - or half-breeds - drives true-blooded vampires crazy with desire. If you're human, that's even worse. And yes, that's what I meant. They'll drain you dry in **every** way possible.

Go ahead, feel free to let those ecchi thoughts run wild.

**Author's Note: **Insert image of lean, High-school male with beautiful, female vampire - both naked, with the latter at the throat of the former. They're... whack! Bam! Pow!

(Damn you, Spiritblade! Don't make this harder than it already is!)

It's rare that Ganymede loses her composure over someone she just met. I think you'll be seeing her more often than you'd like. Are you on good terms with her brother? You are? Excellent. Kazuki-kun loves my cooking, especially my salmon and unagi-don set meals. How do I send it to him? Easy - teleportation. Or via one of his messenger angels or demons - who I promptly bribe with a meal as well. It's amazing how easy it is to convince them. Keep this a secret from Brunestud-kun, please? It would be mortifying for him to know his favourite 'big-sister' is turning **his** servants into mine.

(I don't think he'll mind.)

Well, a little more about my little brother, since you'll be meeting him soon enough. Let me get the fire and food started. Oh, you know how to cook as well? Okay, you can help. Do you know how to make spicy food? Keitaro loves those, and I've tried - and failed. I've used magick before to make the dish, but that had him running for the toilet to empty half the reservoir trying to put out the fire I started on his tongue.

(I'm surprised he didn't combust. Just how much onions and chillis did you put in it anyway?)

The right quantity, but I suspect my magic turned the temperature up.

Oh, do I cook for the whole Dynasty? From time to time, I do. Aunt Kamishirou and my half-siblings, and her Kazuki, would come here with Aunt Kuriko, her children and her Kazuki, for dinner from time to time. Aunt Kuriko has hired me from time to time to when her conglomerate is hosting important functions; I like having to earn some pocket money, and Aunt Kuriko is generous. Surprisingly, her kids are not spoilt brats, unlike the ones I know. She raised them well, and having Aunt Rin or Aunt Altrouge step in to put them in line does wonders for discipline.

Oh, that would be Keitaro. He's back early today. Come on, I'll introduce you. Oh...and I've made Sanguinary Tea for you. Ganymede called me up earlier. She said you'll be needing daily infusions of it.

(I am so going to get that girl for this...!)

_**To be continued...**_


	11. Epilogue

**Maburaho: The Dynasty**

**Finale ****– Christmas Night**

**Written by Spiritblade**

**Disclaimer:** Maburaho, White Wolf's Exalted and Jigoku Shoujo aren't mine. I am only borrowing them so that I can write this story. This is for all of you who had been waiting for an end to this story. I apologize profusely for not updating this story in a long time. It was a side project and held a lower priority than my GSD and Angel Halo projects. But three years is a long enough wait. Let us bring this symphony to an end. I hope that I do not disappoint, as I feel like my humour is on a permanent leave of absence and I have not watched Maburaho for a long time now.

**X X X**

Christmas Eve – I have always loved Christmas Eve. The hours before midnight are magical ones. Families prepare gifts, lovers exchange vows and friends raise a toast to the end of a hard but fulfilling year. It is a time to celebrate the future and bid farewell to the past. And it is on this night that my fathers' – plural, as you do remember that the magical mishap brought about by his resurrection had caused him to split in ten **identical** copies, all of whom married ten different women – families gather on my mother's palatial estates to welcome the new year.

But tonight…tonight will be different. Mother took a leaf out of Aunt Rin's old and very much loved classical stories and had the Millennium Throne Sky Resort constructed high above the Pacific Ocean. It is here that my family will be gathering for Thanksgiving. Beautiful, is it not? It cost trillions of dollars to build, but the investment was well worth it. Within three months of the Sky Resort's completion and grand opening, thousands of reservations were made by those who wanted a chance to quite literally bathe under the light of the stars. Oh, do be careful. I know you can fly, but taking a drop at this height will be a lesson in how quickly one can wet one's undergarments. And fear not, I took the precaution of having my staff equipped with familiars and artefacts in the event that such a thing happens.

I'm sorry, what? You've forgotten who I am? You have. That befuddled look on your face says it all.

Understandable; it has been a long time since we last met, and you've had a busy three years. Come, sit down. I will have my maid bring us some tea while we wait for our guests to arrive. First off, my name is Kazetsubaki Raiha. I am Kazetsubaki Kuriko's eldest son, and director of the Kazetsubaki Conglomerate's Advanced Magical Security Division. Yes, my mother decided after I graduated from University that my abilities were best suited for making sure other people don't get shot at. And yes, it is a stressful job. Few job descriptions will ever ask its applicants if getting shot at with bullets and Charms is acceptable to them.

Good thing I have my siblings and my wife to cover my back.

What? Don't tell me you did not know I got married.

…

…..

….…I see. Your teacher did a Taro Urashima on you, citing that this was the best way to make sure your skills and Disciplines were up to snuff? And she did what…? You're kidding – she actually did that? God, she's a slave-driver. My mom and your teacher will get along like a house on fire. One question: did you tell your teacher where you were going? I hope you didn't, because my pocket will sport a very big hole if she does decide to come. My mother will be unable to resist challenging her. Keeping in shape is one way of making sure my father does not go after other women – which I **SERIOUSLY** doubt he does, as taking care of my giggling horde of siblings and half-siblings is a full-time (and overtime) job and that he is not a skirt-chaser like some of my half-siblings – and her way of 'relieving' stress. And don't look at me that way.

_(And why not…? We all know what your mother does when she's alone with your dad. It's the reason why you have so many siblings in the first place. – Ed.)_

True – but I don't have any reason to complain. In an estate as big as the one I grew up in, the company of those you trust is a thing more precious than anything you can buy. Huh, sorry… the editor got my attention for a minute there. Yes, I am married. And yes, she is here on the Sky Resort with my twins. Yes, twins – One boy and one girl. My wife's servants are crazy about them, same as my mom. Not that she – my wife, I mean – is complaining. It allows her to catch up on sleep.

And…sorry, you were saying?

Yes, the rumours are true. My wife is not exactly…human. But is that so strange? You yourself are courting a human sorceress from Kaguya High, aren't you? Oh, don't look so surprised. My younger brother studies there, too. Huh…? You didn't know he studied there? I'm not surprised. Keeping a low profile is something he's good at. Collecting information and discerning the motivations of others comes a close second. If you thought that James Bond was the pinnacle of his profession, wait until you see what my brother will be like once he graduates from Britain's Academy of Military Intelligence.

_(You're kidding. James Bond and Mr. Bourne were bad enough. The collateral damage and sheer mind games the two – particularly the second – can play, is enough to have a hardened counter-intelligence agent tender his resignation within the hour!__ – Ed.__)_

No, I'm not. My little brother was inspired by said individuals and took their tricks of the trade a step further. And do remember just **who** we are. Mom's a powerful mage. Dad's a powerful mage with enough power to split the world in two without trying. My brother takes the power that is our birthright and marries subtlety to it. You will never see that thunderbolt coming until Death herself taps you on your shoulder.

_(Ouch. Has he…? – Ed.)_

Not yet. But the last letter I received from him tells me it is only a matter of time before the school's resident delinquents find out the difference between a Charm used to intimidate others and a Charm used to send one across the River Styx. Charon will be very displeased that a dozen souls got into Hades illegally. That old buzzard will most likely fax my office an invoice for said souls – and let me tell you that the exchange rate from Hadean gold these days is through the roof. How much? Trust me, you **DON'T** want to know. You ever get one of those coins, you're one lucky man. There're plenty of people across the world that will pay an Emperor's ransom to get one.

Why are they so valuable? Simple: you can have Charon do **YOU** a favour. That includes dragging an errant soul off to Hell before their time. He likes doing that. And whatever you do, don't ever condemn an innocent soul. You **WILL** pay the Creator and the Adversary for that, with interest. There is nothing both powers hate more than administrative lapses. And when they find out you're the cause, kiss your ass in both this and the after-life good-bye.

Yes, like Hell Girl. But let's not discuss her. Yes, I met her. She…wanted me to do her some favours. No, nothing of that sort; I am not above dirtying my own hands if need be. If someone offends me, they will wish my brother had been the one they faced down. She simply wanted some top of the line kimonos Aunt Rin's clan had been producing. Why she asked me to do it? Simple – if Hell Girl gets within the city-limits of Kyoto, the equivalent of a nuclear missile gets thrown at her by the exorcists of the Kamishirou clan. And then, we will have to deal with the murder of one of Enra-Oh's most powerful emissary – something everyone would like dearly to avoid.

But, for now, let us return back to the original topic of our conversation. Yes, my wife is not human. She's, as you already know, an angel. Yes, an honest-to-God Angel. Yes, with the wings, the halo **AND** the flaming swords. Retainers included. Hentai sense of humour included. Plans of making sure I – and what few sons I will have – will be swarmed by my daughters, included. And scheming to ensure that said sons have their own harems.

What? You think the succubi are the only ones with that perverted mindset? God's daughters are worse, especially when they get it into their heads that you're perfect for…you know. And they're twice as energetic. My mother is planning on ensuring that the family estate has an extra wing for my girl – correction, girls – and our brood. And yes, for once, the paparazzi have gotten their facts right, even if it has gotten several of my said lovers very, very unhappy.

_(Please stop making innuendoes, Raiha-san. If the fan__-__fiction feds get on my case, I will have no choice but to bump the rating of this story up to M. And after six plus chapters, it's going to cost us customers. –Ed.)_

What? Don't deny it, Spiritblade. Don't think that I have not been keeping an eye on you! Those erotic stories you've been writing have been making many of my employees hotter than Hawaii in summer! It's embarrassing when you walk in on them being frisky.

_(You make it sound as if I committed a crime. –Ed.)_

I wouldn't call it a crime. But it can be considered an abetment of one, albeit of a degree that will bring about a few days in a prison and a hefty fine.

_(My backers will be annoyed if you try to make life difficult for me. – Ed.)_

Backers…?

_(Oh, you did not know? Your mother and your wife are funding my work. If they finds out I'm in the cooler, you'll be in more trouble than you know. –Ed.)_

You are starting to think and talk like my mother, Spiritblade. I see that life has been giving you some of its harder right hooks. But, you do have a point. I concede this battle. I am not crazy enough to take on my wife, my mother and your supporters all at once. I will run out of lives before they run out of Charms. Hold on a moment, I have a call.

…Yes, I see. They're here already? That's fast. It seems we will have to adjourn our little conversation to the main hall. Our guests have arrived. No, allow me. I'll gate us there. Who arrived? Several of my half-siblings, of course – and they brought their brood with them. Yes, several of them have married. It is a good time for my nephews and nieces to get to know one another. Oh, and your teacher is here as well. Remember what I said earlier about your teacher going to burn a hole in my pocket? Well, it's going to happen. I suppose my hoping that thanking her in private is going to be out of the question, then. For what, you ask? My mother and I wanted to thank her for training you. Here, take this.

Oh, don't look so surprised. Aunt Sayumi's family had had her eye on you for quite some time. She tendered a request to me, and I pulled a few strings and called in a few favours to have you trained for the position you will eventually take. Strong as our family is, it never hurts to have those you trust to watch over you while you rest. The vampires have the werewolves as their daylight guard. We will have Magic Knights as ours, trained in the same arts as the Lycans are masters of and which the vampires have mastered in their centuries of unlife. And yes, you have earned it. Let none dispute your right to be what we have made you into.

Now, let us be off.

Let us celebrate a new year, bid farewell to the past, cherish the present and look to the future. The newest chapters of the stories of our lives are yet unwritten, and the Fates and the Almighty wait with baited breaths to see what will be written on those pages. We live in a world where the Almighty's blessing is made manifest in the powers we wield and in the presence of mythical beings that stride amongst us and love us as they had for centuries beyond counting. The First Age did not end with the passing of the Solars. It did not end with the War in Heaven. It will not end, for the powers that be wish it to endure. All that live within Creation are stories to its creators. And those who can dream, those with the strength of heart and can sing back to it and give it hope and make strong its soul and heartbeat.

_(Indeed. For beyond the strictures made by the mighty are things that wealth cannot buy and power cannot grasp__…__- Ed.)_

Amen.

**Fin.**


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